St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-06-04
THE ELECTION TICKET LAW
AGAIN.

| ISSUE makes an awkward attempt to
defend his course with reference to the
election law. 1t tries to turn the ar
gument against US by pointing out q
! slight inaccuracy in our statement OF
| the amendment offered 10y Senator kel
| ley at the last session. Not having had the
official proceedings of the Legislature
before us and speaking from memory
we fell into the error of ascribing to
the Legislature the desire to wipe out
the whole Infamous device relative to
the peoples ballot. The Advocate cor
reefs us; the Kelly amendment pro-
posed simply to give to the voter the
privilege, previously denied him, of
writing his ballot. 1t was however a
step in the right direction, small con-
cession to the citizen which had it been
so fortunate as to have secured e3ecu-
tive approval, would have restored to
the voter at least one safe guard over
his ballot. Both branches of the Legis-
lature without opposition, approved
and passed the measure. The bill came
to the Governor on the last day of the
session. He did not veto it, but de-
feated it by pocketing it, and there
fore we have no official declaration
from him of his reasons for his course.
The Advocate says that he declined
to sanction the insertion in the statute
books, Of bill that went no further to
meet the recommendation in his mes
sage of 1884"
1t does not deny our statement as to
the reason assigned at the time to Senator
Kelley, viz; That the law was good
enough as it stood. Indeed, the Gov
ernor in his message of 1884 expresses
his entire approval of the election law
and specially commends the printed
ballot feature. He says: "A careful
analysis of the present law will show
that it was enacted for the purpose of
giving the fullest expression to the will
of the voter"
And again: :" 1t is impossible for
fraud to be committed without detec-
ton"
And then, in regard to the require
ment upon the voter to deposit bal
lot printed upon official paper he says:
" The object of this provision was to
prevent the disclosure of the manner
in which the voter cast his ballot
This unstlnted praise of the whole
law, and especially his endorsement of
the obnoxious printed ballot feature,
are not only entirely consistent with his
recent refusal to allow it to be amended,
but at the same time, conclusively dis
credits the Advocate theory. To say
that the Governor, on the last day of
the session when there was no chance
to offer another measure, refused his
sanction to the measure because it did
not reform all the defects in the law, is
to discredit either his patriotism or his
sense. To say the least of it, it is dis
to the Senate and House, to
put his defeat of the measure upon
any such ground. 1t is however an ad-
mission that unless remedial legisla
ton, in aid of the fundamental rights
Of the people, comes to him for appro
val exactly in a shape to suit his no.
tons he will none of it he will coun
tenance no reform unless all things be
position which justly brings
his professions and suggestions under
suspicion. What assurance have we
that in recommending the total repeal
of the election laws in his message of
1884, he was in good faith? Since he
would not permit a partial change, is it
probable that he would have allowed,
as far as he was concerned, total
of those very features
which he takes pains to commend and
eulogise.
We suggest to the Advocate to
" trump up" some more plausible theo
ry. We do not retract but reiterate
our declaration that the Governor of
this State in using his executive in
f1uence to hamper and prevent the free
and honest exercise OF the elective
is an enemy to the people.
The pretext that these novel, unameri-
can and sinister provisions Of the cleo
ton law, are intended to SECURE the
secrecy Of the ballot will not pass mus
ter. There is no reason why the bal
lot should be kept secret, except the
individual wish of the voter to exercise
that privilege, privilege which he
could fully enjoy under the old law if
he saw fit to do so. To throw down
the principal safeguards and barriers
against the corruption of the ballot
box, under pretext Of secureing the Sc :
crecy of the ballot, is a kind of state
craft bordering closely upon lunaey, or
else it is what the Committee of One
Hundred style it, and what we beliey
it to be, device to corrupt the ballot
box and render safe and easy the theft
of the public offices.
The district court convened for the
first time in the new court house on
Wednesday. The building is completed
with the execution of a few touches